Five recipes for a French-Middle Eastern feast

Ashraf Saleh creates vibrant dishes at his restaurant which you can now re-create at home.

Source: New Holland

A self-described gastronomic traveller, chef Ashraf Saleh draws on his Middle Eastern heritage, the traditions of French cooking, his travels through Paris, London and Sweden, and his time in kitchens in Saudi Arabia and Australia, to create the colourful East-meets-West food he serves up at his restaurant, COYA.

Saleh opened the restaurant, in Cromer in Sydney’s northern beaches, with his wife in 2017.

Now Saleh has a new launch on his hands: his first cookbook.

The book includes many popular dishes from the restaurant (which Saleh describes as catering to the “adventurous foodie”, with unusual and original flavour combinations), plus other creations.

Here are a few recipes to set you up for your next French-Middle Eastern dinner party:

Soft shell crab with chilli tomato jam

Soda water in the batter makes for deliciously light, crisp crab, perfect served with chilli jam.

Source: New Holland

Chickpea, parsley and feta salad

Making cucumber ribbons with a vegetable peeler makes this simple salad seem just a touch fancy.

Source: New Holland

Arnabeet

Fried cauliflower tossed in garlic oil and drizzled in tahini sauce is easy to put together and sure to impress any tableside guest.

Source: New Holland

Fattoush salad with mint and sumac

This Arabic medley of vegetables is topped with crisp flatbread pieces.

Source: New Holland

Flourless chocolate cake

This indulgent cake is great on its own, or dressed up with macarons and fruit for a celebratory dessert.

Source: New Holland

Recipes and images from Coya – French, Middle Eastern Cuisine by Ashraf Saleh (New Holland Publishers RRP $39.99).